The Alsatian Colorado

Why is it called the Alsatian Colorado... when it's just across the border in Germany? Our German neighbours call it the Altschlossfelsen or "Old Castle Cliffs". In any case, this easy horse ride between France and Germany, with no major difficulties or steep slopes, allows you to discover this beautiful pink sandstone rock formation, hidden among the vegetation.
A short, easy hike, ideal for families with children who enjoy walking.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.35 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 427 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 407 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,329 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 984 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

On leaving the village of Roppeviller, heading east, park on the left in the large car park (D86a)

(S/E) Turn right as you leave the car park towards the village.

(1) Then take thefirst street on the right, which continues as a fairly steep path.

(2) When you reach a forest path, take it on the right and follow it for about 1.5 km. The path then makes a sharp turn to the right.

(3) At this point, pay close attention: a fairly inconspicuous path branches off to the left and climbs up to Rocher de Diane.

(4) At Rocher de Diane (sign on the left), you can admire a Roman fresco depicting Diana the Huntress with her bow and quiver, accompanied by two dogs and two other gods.
Then descend by following the path that runs along the border (use the border markers as your guide) until you reach the junction with the path marked with a yellow cross.

(5) Take the path opposite (the path marked with a yellow cross branches off to the right) and continue along the French-German border until you reach the start of the Altschossfelsen rock formation ("old castle cliffs").

(6) Turn left at the sign for Altschlossfelsen and begin your exploration of this remarkable site by walking along the top of the rock formation.
If in doubt, follow the signs for "Rundweg".
There are a few open areas that are ideal for breaks or picnics. There is also a beautiful viewpoint over the wooded area of the Bitche military camp, with a few tables and benches. Towards the end, the path descends to the left at the foot of the rocks. Continue in the same direction until you reach the end of the rocky outcrop.

(7) At the turning point of this hike, there is a passage between two rocks that allows you to easily cross to the other side of the rocky outcrop. Return via the wide path that passes under the cliffs and enjoy the play of colours and light in the pink rock, caves and crevices. Continue along the path, passing under the large arch, then return to the intersection you passed on the way out, at the start of the rocky outcrop.

(6) Take the border path on the right (the one you took on the way there) to the previous WP.

(5) This time, take the path on the left marked with a yellow cross and follow it straight ahead along the meadows to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,004 ft - Large car park (D86a)
  2. 1 : mi 0.33 - alt. 984 ft - Street on the right
  3. 2 : mi 0.63 - alt. 1,175 ft - Crossing with the forest path
  4. 3 : mi 1.38 - alt. 1,115 ft - At the foot of Diane's Rock
  5. 4 : mi 1.46 - alt. 1,135 ft - Diane's Rock
  6. 5 : mi 1.56 - alt. 1,083 ft - Crossroads of forest paths
  7. 6 : mi 1.9 - alt. 1,234 ft - Start of the Altschlossfelsen
  8. 7 : mi 2.61 - alt. 1,217 ft - Passage between two rocks
  9. S/E : mi 4.35 - alt. 1,001 ft - Large car park (D86a)

Notes

There are no water sources along this route. Remember to bring enough to drink, especially when it's hot!

Hiking boots or good sports shoes are sufficient.

The 2½-hour hike is only a rough estimate... Personally, we took the time to admire the rocks, take photos... and it took us longer!

Worth a visit

Diane's Rock
Altschlossfelsen cliffs

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 78 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.9 / 5
celinsek
celinsek

HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, but I'm thinking about it!

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Dominique Arcade
Dominique Arcade

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very lovely walk, generally quite easy. A few tricky sections for 70-year-olds like us who aren’t particularly fit (risk of slipping, rather high ‘steps’). We had trouble finding the path over the rocky outcrop on the way there. As a result, we walked the circular route in the opposite direction at that point. The route is hard to track accurately on the phone (network issues?), so it’s not always easy to know where you are, particularly on the German side. We went on a Tuesday. It was quite quiet.
I can’t imagine how busy it must get at weekends, given the size of the car park....

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User 25787492

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk with impressive rocks sculpted by erosion stretching for nearly a kilometre; this section is very busy, but then again, it was a Sunday. No worries about parking – the car park is huge. We did the route in the opposite direction, which was more enjoyable. Allow a bit more time than Visorando suggests, as there are plenty of details to see on the rocks.

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User 3985798
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely outing, with breathtaking scenery. We did the route starting from Roppeviller – which was advertised as taking 2 hours 20 minutes – but it took us 4 hours 30 minutes, including a 20-minute break for lunch. There’s so much to see that you’ll want to take loads of photos.
I highly recommend it. Do go and see the Rocher de Diane – it adds a bit to the walk, but the view from there is superb.
There are a few slightly tricky sections, but otherwise it’s not difficult at all.
😃

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celinsek
celinsek

I haven't been there yet, but I've heard about it! Apparently it's absolutely lovely!

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GUILLAUME.S
GUILLAUME.S

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

This sheltered walk offers some magnificent scenery.

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PParisot
PParisot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It’s easy to follow the route, except perhaps when heading to Diane’s Rock, which is a bit harder to find.
A magnificent route, particularly the section through the Altschlossfelsen rocks. However, we really ought to stop calling it the ‘Alsatian Colorado’, as all of the rocks are actually in Germany...

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Wall-E
Wall-E

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It was just as well we met some walkers, because even with the GPS guidance, it was difficult to follow the route

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mariepaule
mariepaule

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike: luckily we had a guide, so we could look all around us and try to guess what the rocks might represent – a jar, a tapestry, some embroidery, a whale, two mushrooms, or even a Cro-Magnon man’s shelter. The colour…… yes, that colour, shifting with the sun’s rays

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User 27169598

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very interesting and scenic route, but there isn’t enough signposting on the way up the southern Colorado trail (some of the Red Discs are missing)

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sophieRRando
sophieRRando

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A walk worth doing; you might also want to use the other route descriptions, including this one, depending on how much time you have.

A lovely walk to discover a natural wonder.

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rgo54
rgo54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A stunning route, winding through rocky outcrops and woodland. Best enjoyed in sunny weather but outside the peak season (early in the morning?)
Large car park at the edge of the village

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User 11994804

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I’ve wanted to go on this hike for years and, to be honest, I’m absolutely delighted.
Thanks, Visorando

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rgo54
rgo54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

An easy route, very busy (the weekend of 8 May) but absolutely stunning.

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Jacques Decoin
Jacques Decoin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Easy route, mostly through forest, with a slight difficulty of a few metres of stony path.
Easy access and large car park at the starting point.

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